yup ISO 639
Yukpa Autonyms
Yukpa
Visualizations
A language of Colombia
- ISO 639
- yup
- Alternate Names
- Carib Motilón, Japrería, Macoíta, Northern Motilone, Northern Motilón, Yuco, Yucpa, Yuko, Yukpa-Japería, Yupa
- Autonym
- Yukpa
- Population
- 3,000 in Colombia (2009 W. Largo). 600 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 3,610 (2018 census). Total users in all countries: 6,020.
- Location
- Cesar department: Augustín Codazzi municipality and municipalities north and south, Colombia-Venezuela border in Serranía de Perijá mountain range. Río Casacará dialect in Agustín Codassi municipality along Casacará river and Caño Iroka. Yukpa sur dialect, Becerril municipality.
- Language Maps
- Colombia, Venezuela
- Language Status
- 6b* (Threatened).
- Classification
- Cariban, Yukpa, Yucpa-Yapreria
- Dialects
- Río Casacará (Iroka), Río Maracas, Yukpa Sur (Caño Padilla-La Laguna), Coyaima. At least 5 extant dialects including 2 in Venezuela. Río Cascará and Río Maracas dialects are probably largest, and may be separate languages. Venezuela dialects seem more similar to Río Maracas. Unrelated to Barí [mot]. Lexical similarity: 60% with Japreria [jru] of Venezuela (2008 W. Largo).
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; possessives and common nouns marked with prefixes, human gender with suffixes; up to 2 prefixes, 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by word order; verbal affixation marks person and number; non-ergative; both tense and aspect; passives and voice; 13 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; nontonal.
- Language Use
- Vigorous. Inside protected areas the language is used all the time; outside those areas, it is only spoken when there are no outsiders present (Crevels 2007). Also use Spanish [spa], especially men, but only for buying and selling.
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L1: 50%. Literacy rate in L2: 70%. Taught as subject in some primary schools. Literature. Dictionary. Texts.
- Writing
- Latin script [Latn].
- Other Comments
- Traditional religion.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Yukpa
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Zulia state: Cesar region, north Sierra de Perijá, on the Colombia border, between Palmar river north and Tucuco river south.
- Dialects
- Atapshi (Yukpa Norte), Iroka, Pariri (Yukpa Central), Wasama, Yikta, Macoíta, Irapa (Yukpa Sur).
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened)
- Language Use
- Most adults are still monolingual (Crevels 2007). Home, community. Positive attitudes. Also use Spanish [spa], especially younger generations (Crevels 2007). Used as L2 by Japreria [jru].
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L2: 50%.
- Other Comments
- Most live in urban areas. View other languages of Venezuela
Language Name
Yukpa
User Population
3,020 in Venezuela (2007). 2,220 urban; 800 rural. Ethnic population: 10,600 (2011 census).
